


Bicycle

by antiagonally



Category: Persona 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27424207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antiagonally/pseuds/antiagonally
Summary: If you have come here looking for a lightweight mode of transportation, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. A bicycle is named for its two rotating wheels, but the revolutions involved in this story are of quite a different sort.
Kudos: 5





	Bicycle

Goro Akechi's life was a cycle.

Awaken his Persona, make himself useful to his poor excuse of a father, watch as the man climbed his way to the top over heaps of bodies, and then destroy him.

Followed by taking himself out of the picture, because who would willingly turn themselves over to a police force that they knew was corrupt and cruel? Even Goro's sense of justice couldn't drive him to that kind of self-abuse. Better to end himself quickly, with no more drama than all the others he killed.

Just like with them, he went to the other world to do it. In every loop he put so much care into building his reputation that he couldn't bear to destroy the positive image the public had of him. So each time, he went in, called out his Persona - or both, one after the other, once the sheer futility started bringing forth Loki's rage alongside Robin Hood's justice - and he executed them before returning to the real world.

He might not know everything about that other world, but he could figure out what the lack of a yellow-eyed other self meant, when everyone else he met had one that could easily be found, in their own little pocket if not the main caverns. His Personas must be formed from the same thing that he killed to cause mental shutdowns in others, so killing his own should have the same effect.

Of course, he never remembered what happened next. Perhaps being aware of his impending doom caused his mind to darken more swiftly than the ignorant victims. In any case, he assumed he would be added to the list of casualties, with no one ever the wiser. Because although there would be no more shutdowns, what reason could there be to suspect that the last person to suffer one had been the culprit?

But he would always wake up again, back at the beginning. He was grateful to whatever power cursed him like this that at least he didn't have to relive his mother's death every time, or the years of being an orphan in foster homes.

It wasn't caused by his self-inflicted mental shutdown, that much he knew. Events could vary from one timeline to another, and once or twice he died from some random incident. Yet the cycle remained unbroken. Every time his skills improved, leaving him better able to defeat otherworldly enemies or deceive everyone in the real world. His grades never suffered either.

However... things were going differently this time. A researcher learned too much about 'cognitive science' and Shido ordered her to be eliminated. She had a daughter, only thirteen years old. Two years younger than Goro. He felt a twinge of regret, but he obeyed. So many loops had left him mostly numb, unable to consider making decisions outside of the normal pattern. Until...

Two years passed. And Goro's world turned upside down with the arrival of a wildcard in the game.

A wildcard who seemed capable of being Goro's equal, despite being a Persona user for less than a year compared to the approximately two years Goro had. And that wasn't counting the additional years of resets. While this made Goro instinctively feel envious, he also couldn't help wondering if he was doing something wrong.

For the first time in his repetitive life, he thought that maybe there was a better way. Maybe he didn't have to sacrifice himself for his revenge. Maybe whatever power had a hold of him wasn't just doing this out of sadism, and actually wanted him to have a future.

If that was so, perhaps it still had the patience to give him another chance.

Shido had never suspected him this much before, Goro was sure. But facing down the soulless replica of himself behind the watertight door, Goro had only one wish.

_Please meet me again next time, Joker._

He would still work for Shido and cause shutdowns on anyone who deserved it. And if he wasn't a famous highschool detective, how would they find each other? But he intended to avoid the actions that he believed were the most unforgivable. He would become someone the Phantom Thieves could accept as one of them, even if they didn't approve of everything he did.

_If not next time, I'll keep waiting for you._

"You've been... repeating this year? From the day you arrived in Tokyo?" Goro's face bore an unmasked expression of astonishment.

"I know it's hard to believe, but if we can enter a world formed of people's perceptions, then-"

Goro interrupted. "Sorry, that's not what surprised me so much. I believe you. I'd be stupid not to... because the same thing happened to me."

He explained to Akiren about his years of going through with his revenge on Shido, growing ever stronger but not finding any satisfaction.

"And then this time... I met you. Never before. But I don't understand... If you've been repeating too, but just this year-"

"Oh!" Akiren looked like he'd suddenly realized something. "The first time, I thought I could convince you to join us, but then Shido's cognitive showed up and you raised the waterproof door. The Phantom Thieves couldn't get to you and we were pretty sure you died in there. It was a noble sacrifice and all, but I really regretted not being able to save you. It's what I've been aiming for all these times I got to try again."

Goro twitched in surprise as his hand was grabbed, held between both of Akiren's while the other boy gave him the most earnest, hopeful expression.

"Maybe that was your last reset, and you wanted another chance - not just to keep going like you had been, but specifically to meet me again - so badly that somehow your reset ability transferred to me."

Goro frowned. "I suppose, if that's what happened, that it worked out... But if I could've just kept having the reset myself, I could've done better. Like NOT causing two parents of the Phantom Thieves to die."

Akiren gave him a soft smile, as if nothing Goro could do in any timeline was too horrible to be forgiven. And that was probably the truth, because the next thing Akiren said was, "If it makes you feel better, you didn't successfully kill me this time."

While Goro went pale and speechless with horror, Akiren grabbed his free hand as well. Goro felt like both his hands were locked into Akiren's gentle grip. He could only imagine that if Akiren was to actually hug him, it would feel something like this.

"I think you, or your subconscious at least, knew if you kept doing the resets there was a chance that I wouldn't show up again, just like I'd never shown up before. And that part of you trusted me to save you even if you didn't remember how much you wanted to be saved."

Goro looked down, unable to meet Akiren's devoted gaze any longer. "You might be right. I can see that happening. But..." He scowled at the floor. "Sure took you long enough."

Akiren chuckled. "I haven't even told you how long it took me. For you, it wasn't any longer than the year we just went through."

"If there was even one timeline where I killed you, that was once too many!"

Akiren burst into laughter, and after a moment Goro couldn't help joining him. Things could certainly have gone better, but as they were it wasn't the worst way to end the cycle.


End file.
